In his article The Mindset of a Successful Bodybuilder, national bodybuilding champion Hugo Rivera wrote, “[a]s bodybuilders we must keep our eyes on the ultimate goal, which is always more muscle mass with less fat.” The qualities inherent in the most successful bodybuilders, therefore, are those that aid them in attaining this ultimate goal. These qualities, moreover, can be encapsulated into two primary areas-mindset and training.

The Correct Bodybuilding Mindset

The one quality that sets successful bodybuilders apart from unsuccessful ones is consistency of training, and this consistency depends upon the correct mindset. There should be no room, says Rivera, for thoughts of “giving” up on the achievement of the ultimate vision for one’s body – or even deviating from one’s training schedule. Paradoxically, consistency requires flexibility and preparedness.

Be Flexible

Many bodybuilders fail by allowing their much-loved sport consume them. Although dedication is admirable, it should never come at the expense of one’s personal life. Since few people can commit their time to bodybuilding-and few would, or should, want to-there must be a healthy balance between training and personal commitments. This is obtained with a flexible mindset that:

– Creates a bodybuilding routine around one’s personal schedule and commitments. Once personal time commitments are analyzed and a bodybuilding routine devised, however, one should endeavor to attain 100% adherence to his or her bodybuilding routine.

– But if a session is missed, one should not become unduly discouraged. Instead, one should be sufficiently flexible to reschedule such session as quickly as possible. Similarly, if a meal is missed, it should be consumed at the earliest possible opportunity. Likewise, if a scheduled training session is missed, it should be rescheduled one’s for the following day. This way, one acknowledges life’s unexpected changes, while maintaining the routine designed to achieve the ideal goal.

Be Prepared

Ensure that you take the time to prepare meals and snacks in advance to avoid missing meals; try to schedule your routines for the early hours before life’s emands and unforeseen circumstances arise; determine your routine for the week at the beginning of the week so that you can minimize time spent each day endeavoring to create a plan and rather simply execute on a predetermined plan.

The Bodybuilder in Training

There are many precise training recommendations for bodybuilders, but few methods applicable to everyone. Although these varied effects were puzzling, it was not until the science of “body types” emerged that bodybuilders began to understand these discrepancies. Moreover, they began to understand how to use their individual body types to maximize their bodybuilding success.

The Science of Body Types

In the 1940’s, psychologist Dr. William Sheldon became interested in the possible connection between one’s body type and one’s personality or temperament. In order to test his theory, he studied the photographs-front view, side view, and back view-of approximately four thousand men.

From this study and his observations, Sheldon concluded that there were three elements that determined one’s physique and temperaments. Because these elements, he theorized, were related to the three layers of the human embryo-which are the endoderm, the mesoderm, and the ectoderm-he aptly named these body types: Endomorphy, Mesomorphy, and Ectomorphy.

Moreover, these body types had vastly different physiological focuses.

– Endomorphy: Digestive system and stomach

– Mesomorphy: Musculature and circulatory system

– Ectomorphy: Nervous system and brain

Although most individuals are a mixture of these three body types, one will predominate. Furthermore, whichever one predominates will vastly influence one’s physical functioning (metabolism, musculature, even predisposition to certain diseases) as well as one’s temperament.

Body Types and Bodybuilders

Sheldon’s study of body types helps explain why certain fitness routines and diets work for certain individuals but not for others. A bodybuilder can now use this knowledge to custom design a workout routine to maximize the musculature of his or her unique body type.

Traits of an Endomorph

The typical traits of an endomorph body type include:

– A short physique with thick arms and legs

– A soft (but solid) rounded body

– Easily gains both muscle and adipose tissue

– Sluggish metabolism

– Difficulty losing weight

The endomorphic body type is well suited to strength training, and thus it is recommended that this individual commence weight training at higher intensities. (An overabundance of aerobic activities is not recommended for an endomorph because of the absence of the requisite endurance.)

The best way to train an endomorphic body type is to use “high intensity interval training.” Because such sessions are only 15-20 minutes in length, the burning of muscle is minimized. For optimal results, high intensity interval training should be performed 3-4 times per week, interspersed with strength training sessions.

Traits of a Mesomorph

The typical traits of a mesomorph include:

– Strength

– Large bones

– Athletic build

– Muscular

– Easily gains and loses weight

– Rectangular body

The mesomorphic body type is ideally suited to bodybuilding, adapting well to most training routines. This type can easily handle high intensity and low intensity, high endurance and low endurance training programs.

Traits of an Ectomorph

They typical traits of an ectomorph include:

– Thin

– Small boned frame

– Fast metabolism

– Lean muscle mass

– Small shoulders

– Flat chest

– Difficulty gaining weight

The ectomorphic body type has difficulty gaining both weight and muscle. Consequently, their bodies cannot tolerate intense exercise (either cardio or weight training). For this reason, ectomorphs should slowly build the intensity and the frequency of their training routines, changing their exercise routines frequently to prevent training plateaus that may occur as the body becomes accustomed to a particular exercise routine.

The science of body types provides a map for customizing a training routine to optimize bodybuilding sessions. This, combined with the appropriate mindset, as noted above, will help anyone who desires to become a successful bodybuilder.

Many individuals establish an exercise want to enhance their fitness. Regardless of whether they stick to it, it may not work when the workout plan isn’t suited to them. In case you have clear workout goals in your mind, they can be challenging to reach without having a decent plan. In case you are to maximize your fitness potential, you should commence taking care of assembling a well-customized exercise program that is going to be followed on the letter. From here, you will find the guidelines you should build a firm foundation that will move you forward.

The Body Speaks

Most effective exercise programs should be tailored towards the user, and also this is something a number of people overlook. Resist from following what other individuals are doings because at some point down the line, the body will never be in a position to deal with the routine at hand.

Always look to pay attention to how your body works. There are actually too many people who don’t realize the quantity of pain they are able to place on their bodies like those that continue to do bench presses with pain. Once you learn the dumbbell press is definitely the better option, then you definitely wouldn’t just do the barbell bench press because other folks are going to do it, could you? By hearing your system and doing the chest presses with dumbbells, you are going to achieve better results.

It Is Far From The Quantity That Matters Just As Much As It Will Be The Intensity

It is essential to consider your goals as you craft an exercise routine that is best suited to your needs. Are you currently attempting to lose weight or gain muscle?. When they are your goals, you need to give attention to intensity. It is the common factor of goal achievement. You must improve the intensity when it comes to how much time you might be spending at the gym.

For example, you will definitely get much better comes from 6 to 8 reps of a heavy weight provided that you have good form, than you are going to with 20 reps by using a lighter in weight. Even though it seems that you will be doing less work, you’ll really be getter better results.

Timing Is Very Important

Timing is a lot more important than a lot of people realize. Exactly what does this cause? As an example, a person just decides that she / he will exercise two times a day without reason. Without having goals or focus, it is a waste of energy. While its factual that world-class athletes and competitive bodybuilders subject themselves to grueling exercise schedules, additionally, they literally focus their lives on their own fitness. A lot of people do not require this type of workout regimen and really should be looking to keep it to one each day.

What you do wish to accomplish, however, is just as much as you may inside a short length of time.

If you use the recommendation in the following paragraphs, you will certainly be far more effective together with your workouts. It is very important exercise, but the routine you follow is essential, too. There are many people who overlook this perspective but regrets start pouring in later when positive workout results are not achieved. The recommendation shared with this piece will help you get the most out of your workouts, regardless if you visit the fitness center or perhaps you exercise in your own home. Avoid putting things off on unnecessary workouts but instead plan the workouts you will end up doing.

For those who are new to weight training/lifting and have no idea who Ken Patera is here’s a little background for you.

Patera is a former Olympic Weightlifter and USA powerlifter. He won several medals at the Pan American Games (including gold), and finished second in the 1971 World Weightlifting Championships. He was the first American to clean and jerk 500 (503 1/2) lbs, which he achieved at the 1972 Senior Nationals in Detroit. He is also the only American to clean and press 500 lbs, and he was arguably the last American to excel at weightlifting on an international level.

Patera also competed in the first World’s Strongest Man contest in 1977, finishing third behind Bruce Wilhelm and Bob Young.

Patera went on to have a long career on professional wrestling. Here is a typical Patera workout. Patera would switch up his routines constantly, as well as sets and reps. Use your own judgement based on your comfort level.

The Ken Patera Workout

Snatch

Clean and Press

Bench Press

Squats

Notes: Lift 2-3 times per week using whatever set and rep scheme your comfortable with except for squats. Perform one set of each squat exercise and one set only. Get plenty of rest, eat good food and drink lots of water. Remember to lift heavy and with max intensity.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

Developing cut, huge biceps is something most men strive for.  After all, big arms look good and make you feel strong.  In order to get bigger biceps as fast as possible, you need to understand and incorporate several bodybuilding secrets into your routine. 

Workout 

There are several pitfalls you need to avoid in order to develop the arms you want.  First, make sure the weights you use are heavy.  Your goal is low-repetition, high-intensity workouts a few times a week.  You do not want to blow yourself out working the same muscles every single day; that idea is a sure-fire way to failure.  Instead, work your biceps and arms in such a way that they are tired and then give them at least three days of rest.   

When you work out, vary your routine.  Your body will get used to the same exercises performed in the same order.  Mix up dumbbell curls, flies, and presses with skullcrushers, hammer curls, and preacher curls.  There are hundreds of exercises out there, all of which are effective.  Continually rotate between a few of them to maximize your results. 

Diet 

Want ripped biceps?  Then you need to eat lots of high-quality foods.  Exercise is only half the equation.  When you break your muscles down during a workout, they need essential things like protein to rebuild themselves stronger and bigger.  Make sure you are eating sufficient calories to promote muscle growth – 1 lb of muscle is approximately 3,500 calories, so aim to eat at least 500 calories a day above your normal intake.  

Stick to good foods that are high omega-3 fatty acids and protein.  This list includes red meat (a great source of iron), tuna (a great source of protein), pasta, rice, and leafy greens like spinach (another great source of iron).  Milk is a great source of calcium and calories.  Nuts can provide essential fatty acids, calories, and protein.  Cottage cheese helps prevent muscle breakdown through its high glutamine content.  Eggs, chicken, and turkey are rich in the amino acids, protein, and healthy fats your body needs to get ripped. 

Make sure to drink a lot of water throughout the day.  Your body needs to stay hydrated, particularly when you begin a tough workout regime.  Eat smaller meals more often.  5 – 6 meals per day stimulate your metabolism and promote muscle growth. 

These simple tips will help you get the bigger, more ripped arms you’ve always wanted.

Supplements

Lastly, utilizing nutritional supplements, such as nitric oxide and l-arginine can help your body rapidly develop and build muscle in targeted areas. Nitric oxide can help you improve your stamina and strength, in addition to widening the blood vessels allowing for more oxygen to reach your muscles allowing faster muscle growth. Any good workout routine can be aided with the help of a nitric oxide supplement.

The quality and features of any treadmill is reflected in its price. There are many competing models of treadmills to choose from, from inexpensive to expensive. With a home treadmill you can still manage to have an effective workout regardless of what the weather is doing outside.

Just a bit of trivia: the word ‘treadmill’ originally designated a type of mill which was operated by a person treading steps of a wheel to grind grain.

A few of the treadmill models, which have rollers, are powered by the user rather than a motor. For a standard treadmill motor look for HP to be around 2.5HP; this will ensure an easy and smooth action.

A heart rate monitor is a very good, useful feature to look for on a treadmill. The newest models of treadmills come with many extra features that you may or may not need. Most treadmills come with an electronic console that displays workout feedback like speed, distance traveled, the time you’ve been working out, and calories burned.

A heart rate monitor enables a treadmill to automatically adjust the speed and/or the incline to keep your heart rate within the optimum zone. The adjustable inclines let you vary the steepness of a hill. If you don’t have enough room for a bulky exercise machine, might want to consider a folding treadmill; they collapse to allow for easy storage.

One feature that is absolutely necessary to have in a home treadmill is an emergency stop button or a safety key that automatically shuts off the power if you should stumble, trip or fall. One of the key things to remember is that the larger motors tend to run a lot cooler and usually require less repair and maintenance.

If there is a treadmill you’ve enjoyed using regularly at your local gym or fitness center check to see if there’s a home version available in your price range. Noise from the smallest repetitive sound can drive you nuts over a period of time and give you another excuse not to exercise – check out the noise quotient. Did I mention to make sure to check out the warranty fine print – this is important.

Buying fitness equipment on the Internet has grown at a fast pace over the past few years. Be careful not to believe the marketing hype if you’re looking for a cheap or inexpensive treadmill; the truth is you will get what you pay for. Note that most manufacturers of commercial treadmills found in gyms and health clubs also produce home versions.

After sales, service is another important issue to think about; find out if they will promptly repair or replace your treadmill if there is a problem. Any treadmill with a belt that causes jerky movements when you walk or run should be avoided. It’s important to set a strict budget and stick to it.

You’ll want a treadmill with an aluminum or high alloy steel frame that’s strong enough to support any heavy runner using it. You might want to bring your water bottle and towel to the treadmill store when you try out their treadmills.

Be considerate, a noisy treadmill can upset other family members or roommates and even your neighbors if you live in a duplex, apartment or condominium. Treadmill manufacturers are competing for your business and price wars are creating major savings for buyers.

Whether you use a treadmill to walk, jog or run, the units are very effective at burning calories, raising the heart rate and developing aerobic capacity. If you have severe problems with your legs, a treadmill may not be the best choice of exercise equipment for you. Walking, whether on or off a treadmill, is one of the best approaches anyone can take toward physical fitness. The lack of wind resistance makes running on a treadmill slightly easier than it would be otherwise on an equal elevation grade outdoors.

Take time to do plenty of research, the same way you would any major purchase and buying a treadmill won’t be difficult. Check out treadmill ratings and reviews. A home treadmill is a good investment for anyone who has decided to make a conscious effort to become healthy and fit. No matter what your reasons are for buying a treadmill, be sure to find one that specifically fits your needs.

If you want to come up with a great chest workout, it is important to define your goals. In this article, I am focusing a chest routine with the goal of developing a chest along the lines of what a Calvin Klein Model might have. If you are purely after bench pressing power, then you would obviously want to use a different workout. This routine will develop some strength, but it isn’t the main focus of the workout.

What Should a “Masculine Chest” Look Like?

A masculine chest should have a square and angular look to it, not a rounded and soft look to it. The traditional chest workout focuses on the basic bench press. While the bench press is great in developing size and power, it can develop the lower part of the chest too much. A chest workout focused around the bench press develops the lower pecs so much that they can begin to look like breasts. The part of the chest that is underdeveloped in most men is the upper chest. If your chest workout focuses on the upper chest and not so much on the middle to lower part of the chest, then you will develop square looking pecs.

How to Build the Upper Pecs.

In order to fill out the upper pecs, you need to include a variety of incline pressing movements in your chest workout. You should make sure your chest routine begins with an incline press of some sort. I recommend beginning your chest workout with incline dumbbell presses on an adjustable bench. I like dumbbells, since you can really work that hard-to-hit inner part of the upper pecs. If you develop this part of your chest, you will get that “line” up the middle of your chest all the way to your collar bone.

Here is a Great Chest Workout Which Focuses on Hard the to Develop Areas.

1) Incline Dumbbell Presses: Adjust the bench to about 20-30 degrees above the flat setting. Pick a weight that you can press 10 -12 times. Click the bench up the the next higher angle setting. With the same weight, try to do 8-10 reps. Click the bench up to a steeper angle and try to get 6-8 reps. Keep clicking to a higher angle until you are either close to upright, or until you can’t get more than 5 reps. I like starting my chest workout with this exercise, because it hits every part of the upper chest.

2) Smith Machine Incline Presses: I then take this same adjustable bench and bring it over to the smith machine. I setup the bench so that the bar hits my collar bone at the bottom of the lift. I will choose about a 20-45 degree angle. I put on a pretty light weight and mainly aim for higher reps to really fatigue the muscle. This is more of a finishing move. The smith machine insures that I keep all stress on the upper pecs. I find that if I use a regular incline bench press in my chest-workout, then I can cheat and take the stress of my upper pecs. Include the incline smith press in your chest workout if you have access to this piece of equipment.

3) Cable Crossovers: You need the include cable crossovers into your chest workout if you want to develop the line that defines the mid part of your chest. You can also get a similar effect using machine flyes. Dumbbell flyes are a great mass movement, but you won’t get enough tension in the middle of your chest. Make sure when doing machine flyes or cable crossovers that you really flex the mid part of your chest hard when your hands meet at the end of the movement.

Avoid All Flat Bench Movements in Your Chest Workout for a While.

If you are like most guys in the gym, your upper pecs probably need to catch up with your mid and lower pecs. You should consider dropping all flat bench movements out of your chest workout for a while. I dropped all the flat bench exercises for aver two years and the look of my chest improved dramatically. Another nice benefit of incline movements is that your shoulders will also take on a better appearance.

Keep The Main Points in Mind When Setting Up Your Chest Workout.

When setting up your chest workout, you can be flexible on the exercises you use. Just make sure that you focus on the angular and square look. Having great pecs is less about size and more about proper proportion and definition.

Fitness is especially important for soccer players, as they will be called on in a match to run for up to 90 minutes, with no stoppage in time and only sporadic stoppage of action. When preparing for the upcoming soccer season, it is best to play the beautiful game of soccer as a way to get more fit, as there is no substitute for the game. Even small-sided games for 15, 20 and 30 minute intervals will help increase fitness and endurance.

As a separate workout away from the game, It is best for soccer players to alternate sprinting, distance and interval running during a fitness workout. With each workout, players should gradually increase repetitions and improve times.

Here are the best drills for a soccer fitness workout:

300’s: On a soccer field, start out on the end line and sprint to mid-field up and back 6 times (50 yards x 6 = 300). High school players should try to run these in less than 70 seconds. After each 300, rest for two minutes and then repeat.

Hills: Find a steady incline hill (no “baby” hills)  Sprint up the hill and jog down. The jogging is recovery time, so this can be done slowly. Once players reach the bottom, the should turn around and sprint up the hill again. After five (5) hills, then take a two minutes rest and do five (5) more.

Cones: These are sprints. Place cones about five (5) yards apart for 25 yards.  Players should spring to the first cone and then back, then to the second cone and then back, and so on.  Five cones up and back is one repetition. Do ten (10) reps and then a one (1) minute rest. Then ten (10) more.

Challenged yet? We’re just getting started…

30-30’s: This is interval training.  Players should begin by jogging for a few minutes and then the fun begins. Next is to alternate 30 seconds of jogging with 30 seconds of sprinting.  Do a set of five (5) 30-30’s, then rest two (2) minutes and then five (5) more. 

120’s: This is a full sprint of the length of the soccer field. High school players should try to do this in less than 20 seconds. After reaching the opposite end line, players should jog back, allowing 60 seconds to recover. Do 7-10 of these.

Cooling down and stretching: Players should always take fifteen to twenty minutes to cool down and stretch to conclude fitness training.

Want even more soccer workout information? Total Soccer Fitness is your complete guide to soccer conditioning, which features a free soccer fitness course.

Even a poorly designed workout can help you to build muscle and get results if you stick at it. And it is much better to perform a bad workout for a long period of time than it is to perform the best workout possible for a day and then give up.

But this is something a lot of people don’t really consider when they plan to get into shape. Too often they will come up with routines that involve training for an hour each session, five times a week. If you’re already feeling too tired to be particularly active, if you’re already stressed with work… trying to fit in five hours of exercise a week is a huge ask. This is particularly true when you consider that you’re probably going to have to travel to the gym as well, get washed, change clothes… etc.

This is where a bodyweight workout can come in so handy. And this is especially true if you use a workout that hits the entire body in a single session, only takes 10 minutes and can be done anywhere. Use this workout first thing in the morning before work and before you go in the shower. Train in your boxers so as to not create more washing. Now you have a routine that really is just ten minutes and that no one should have any problem sticking with.

What does that workout look like? Here it is:

Three Exercises to Rule Them All

This workout is made up of three exercises that together will train the entire body while also providing some cardio benefit. Those three exercises are:

Pull Ups

Press Ups

Jumping Squats

Perform each exercise to failure and then move straight onto the next exercise when you finish without break. You can rest after the jumping squats for one minute before starting the routine again and going for 3 sets. It should take around 10-15 minutes.

This routine hits all the major muscles in the body because it mimics a more involved split that bodybuilders use called PPL (Push, Pull, Leg). Pull ups hit the lats, the biceps and the abs. Push ups train the pecs, the triceps and the shoulders. And jumping squats hit the entire lower body and provide the cardio.

Now this workout isn’t going to be enough to help you build massive muscles overnight. It can burn fat and it can tone your muscles and harden them. But in order for you to really train you need to use heavier weights performed more slowly and for longer.

So use this as a tool to start your new training regime and to get into the habit. Likewise, use it whenever you can’t fit a full routine in.

Losing weight requires a lot of struggle on your part. You have to do a lot of things, such as reducing your calorie intake, taking exercise on a regular basis and, of course, using various other methods of waist training. But what is waist training actually? Waist training, as the name suggests, is the activities you do to get a slimmer midsection. The activities include the exercises you do with the device you use to do waist training. Given below are 5 waist training tips to help you with your goals.

1. Don’t Compete

You are waist training in order to get a slimmer waist, not to complete with someone. Therefore, don’t pay too much attention to the measurements of your friends or colleagues since this can drive you crazy. You need to keep trying at a slow pace and you will definitely get your desired results.

2. Take it easy

Instead of a temporary obsession, take it easy and include the corset into your routine gradually. In other words, if you want to start waist training, you may want to go for a laced corset or a latex waist trainer and put it around your waist for a few hours per day.

Just make sure you don’t wear it too tight on the first day. Gradually, your body will accept the changes and will take the shape you want. Wearing the corset too tightly on day one will do more harm than good. In short, you should take it easy.

3. Take it off

As said earlier, you should wear your waist trainer for a few hours each day. But you are not bound to wear it for 24 hours a day. You should take it off when you need to shower or when you need to hit the bed. Aside from this, when you are going to do your daily exercise, take off your waist trainer. Wearing a corset all the time won’t be much convenient either.

4. Be patient

The time your waist will take to get the shape you desire depends on a number of factors, such as your core density, the distance between your rib cage and the pelvic bone top, shape of the clothing you wear, and your cartilage flexibility, just to name a few.

So, how long will it take for your waist to show you the desired results? Normally, you may have to train for at least 6 months prior to notching a great difference in your waist’s shape. Therefore, you may want to be patient and move on.

5. Prepare for negative remarks

Your friends may make fun of you just because you are wearing that thing around your waist on a daily basis. But you shouldn’t be nervous or embarrassed. Instead, you should face them and justify what you are doing.

So, these are 5 easy to follow waist training tips that can help you with your waist training goals. Just keep in mind that the process of waist training takes a good deal of time and effort, but at the end of the day, the results will be worth the time and effort you spent.

As long as there have been prisoners, there have been prison workouts. As common to correctional facilities as beating up the new guy on the first day and avoiding dropped soap, prisoners have been building better muscles in confined spaces. Here are some reasons why the Prison Workout works:

1) Unlimited Time – Time is the only thing you have. You can spend four hours building better muscles because you’ve got nothing else to do!

2) Confined Space – In prison, ambivalence and indecisiveness do not exist. You can’t perseverate on whether or not to hit the gym or run the beach. You’re already at the gym, and you can never leave.

3) Creativity Required – with no equipment and no open space for running, it’s just you in a room, face to face with your potential.

4) You are the Steppenwolfe – A lone soldier, a man on a mission of fitness. Better muscles and a haunted past, what more is a lady looking for?

So the prison workout has its perks, but most of us don’t want to commit crimes and go to jail simply for the benefit of better muscles. Not to fear, the prison workout has many practical applications in the real world. This is a guide that uses the concepts of the prison workout to create a fitness routine you can practice in the confines of your bedroom.

The Burpee

Get ready for some pain. The burpee is a staple of the prison workout. Do 20 descending sets and you’ll have better muscles in no time. Here’s the process:

From a standing position, drop to a squat. Place your hands on the floor and spring back to a push up position. Do the push up. Jump back to a squat and then spring up into the air bringing your knees up to your chest. Do this 20 times. Take a breather then do 19 more. Then do 18, then 17, and so on. You’ll feel the prison workout burn.

Upper Body

The Card Game – This prison workout challenge requires a deck of playing cards and a hat. Sit across the room from the hat and flip cards toward it. Any time you miss and a card lands face up, do as many push ups as the card reads (face cards are 10). Work your way through a whole deck and you’ll be working your way to some serious ripped abs and pectorals. And remember to keep your body level, no butts in the air (especially for actual prisoners).

Tricep Prison Workout – This is a simple dip. Place your hands on a chair, bed, or sink, and dip your body toward the ground.

Lower Body

Squat Leap – This is basically a burpee without the push up. Do a squat and spring upward. This works the quads.

Jump Lunge – Lower your body into a lunge position, weight on the bent leg with the other leg stabilizing behind. Jump into the air and switch the position of your feet. Repeat as fast as possible.

Core

The Prisoner’s Plank – Drop to a push up position, body rigid and straight. Now hold this position for three minutes. It’s not so easy unless you’ve got washboard abs.

For the Extreme Prisoner

Handstand Push-ups – You may have seen Nick Cage squeezing these out in Con-Air. The concept is simple, Do a handstand-you can brace your feet against a wall for support-then lower your head to the floor and push back upwards. You will build better triceps and shoulder muscles.

The Wall Squat – Back against a wall, lower your body until your upper and lower legs form a 90 degree angle. Hold this position as long as you can. Sounds simple? Try it for 5 minutes. That’s the prison workout way.

The prison workout fits perfectly into the Primal Blueprint, a health plan designed to maximize strength and good nutrition for those looking for simpler, natural alternatives to health in the modern world.